Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
My heart thumps wildly in my chest. She really never leaves this place. It’s more than just a preference for home—what she’s describing is a goddamn disability. “You don’t have to come to Norfolk,” I say. Should I be encouraging her to go?
“The thing is, for the first time…in a very long time, I want to go somewhere outside of Crompton. I don’t know if it’s the prospect of having to move off the estate, the house changing into a hotel or…” She looks at me, the sunlight on her face making her skin luminous. “Or you. But I’d like to come to Norfolk.”
I pull her onto my lap, wrap my arms around her waist and bury my face in her neck. I don’t know how this works exactly, but I’m grateful she’s confided in me, told me as much as she has.
“But…” She presses her hands against my chest and I look up. I grit my teeth to stop myself from kissing her. “I’m not sure I can.”
My chest collapses in on itself, pushing the air from my lungs. “I can help you.”
“Would you?” she asks.
I want to tell her I’d do anything for her. Thank goodness she starts talking again before the words escape.
“It’s just… I might not make it all the way. And if I do get there, I might need to come back early. But I’d love to meet your family again. I’d love to see the sea, feel the sand under my toes. More than all that, I’d really like to spend the weekend with you.”
My chest expands and I can breathe again. “If we don’t make it all the way, we don’t make it all the way. If we need to leave early, we leave early. We’ll have a great weekend, whatever happens.”
She presses her cheek against mine. “Thank you,” she whispers.
I push my fingers into her hair and press a kiss to her mouth. “You taste so good.”
“It’s the ginger beer,” she says.
I chuckle. “It’s not the ginger beer. It’s you. It’s all you. You’re so good.” I can’t find the words to describe it, but everything she does makes me like her more, every word she utters makes me want to listen intently. Every time she touches me, she sets me on fire. It’s like she was made for me.
“You’re so good,” she says back and then slides her tongue into my mouth. I groan at her hot, sweet, wet kisses and smooth my hands up her back.
“The downside of living next to the office is, I know Michael is still working upstairs so we can’t go back to the house.”
She laughs. “And I live next door to my grandma. Maybe it’s not that I want to go to Norfolk at all. Maybe I’m just horny and would like a bit of privacy.”
I groan again. “My aunt and uncle will expect us to stay with them.” I shake my head. “I’ll book a hotel.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to offend them.”
“Of course I’m sure. It might even be easier for them. All my cousins are going to be there apparently. They’re going to have a full house as it is.” The prickles at the back of my neck return.
“How long will it take to get there?” Her voice is breezy, but the way her fingers fiddle with the edges of my shirt tells me the question is important.
“Less than thirty minutes,” I say, hoping that’s the right answer.
“But you said it was outside Blakeney. That must be at least two hours.”
“By car it probably is, but we’ll take a helicopter.”
“A helicopter?” She chokes on the words. “What are you talking about?”
“They’ll want us to come up on Friday. I have calls all afternoon. We’ll just take a chopper. That’s what I normally do from London.”
“Sounds expensive,” she says, shifting on my lap so her back is against my front. She starts to stack cheese and sliced apple on a cracker, passing it back to me before building another stack for herself.
“Sounds quick. Plus, if you want to leave, we can be back at Crompton in no time.”
She reaches up and behind her, stroking the back of my head. “I really want to do it.”
“I’m literally going to be holding your hand the entire time.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Vincent
Despite the collection of voices on the video call, the flick-flack of helicopter blades cuts through the room and I’m eager to bring this meeting to a close. Everyone’s on a high. Planning permission was officially granted a couple of days ago and it’s our first meeting to set out the operational plan.
Kate was right about the hotel manager, as she is about most things—not that I’m about to tell her that. Olga hasn’t relocated to Crompton yet, but she’s been able to join this call. She’s taking us through her workstreams on the project plan.